This is a freely-accessible, publicly-funded digital archive that collects together significant documents relating to the history of copyright law and practice. The documents have been selected by national editors, with the input of an editorial advisory board. Key documents are, where appropriate, transcribed and translated. The editors have written commentaries, explaining the reasons for selecting documents and their significance. The project was launched in 2008, initially funded by the AHRC in relation to 5 countries. Since 2024 it is supported by the AHRC as UK research infrastructure. The archive now extends to more than 20 (including historical and religious) jurisdictions and over 700 primary source documents. They can be browsed by date/language/jurisdiction, or searched.
1546* | Privilege Granted to Enea Vico (Parmigiano) (Italy) |
1559* | Day's privilege for The Cosmographical Glass (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
1643* | The Humble Remonstrance of the Stationers' Company (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
1660* | Decree on Engravings (France) |
1676* | Decree on Sculptures (France) |
1690s* | Memorandum on the dispute between the Parisian and the provincial booksellers (France) Commentary: [1] |
1704* | Defoe's Essay on the Press (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
1738* | Thurneysen: On the Illicit Reprinting of Books (Germany) Commentary: [1] |
1740* | Encyclopaedia Article on 'The Reprinting of Books' (Germany) Commentary: [1] |
1769* | Millar v. Taylor (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
1776* | Fragments on the Freedom of the Press (France) Commentary: [1] |
1777* | Royal declaration on sculpture and painting (France) |
1790* | Sieyès' report (France) Commentary: [1] |
1791* | Le Chapelier's report (France) Commentary: [1] |
1791* | Report of François Hell to the National Assembly (France) Commentary: [1] |
1828* | Maugham's Treatise (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
1830* | Amended music publishers' agreement against piracy (Germany) Commentary: [1] |
1832* | Gans: On the right to perform published stage plays (Germany) Commentary: [1] |
1834* | Wheaton v. Peters Independent Report (United States) |
1837* | Senate Report (United States) |
1842* | Lowndes' Historical Sketch of the Law of Copyright (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
1847* | A Treatise on the Law of Copyright (United States) Commentary: [1] |
1852* | International Copyright Act (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
1853* | Stowe v. Thomas (United States) Commentary: [1] |
1854* | Jeffreys v. Boosey (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
1870* | Copinger's Law of Copyright (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
1878* | Royal Commissioners' Report (United Kingdom) Commentary: [1] |
1880* | Kohler: Author's Right (Germany) Commentary: [1] |
1884* | Bilateral Copyright Treaty between Spain and El Salvador (Spain) Commentary: [1] |
1884* | Bilateral Copyright Treaty between Spain and El Salvador (Spain) Commentary: [1] |
1902* | Court of Cassation on moral rights (France) Commentary: [1] |